Pet of the Week

Bryan the pit bull mix is a good boy who gets along well with others

Bryan is a 2-year-old pit bull mix who was rescued from the streets by good Samaritans.

Photo courtesy of SPCA of Texas

Former SPCA featured pets Oscar, Wyoming and Domino are still waiting for their forever homes. This week, meet Bryan, a 2-year-old pit bull mix with a heart full of love.

Bryan is a curious guy who likes to meet new people and explore new places. As soon as he steps outside for his daily walk, his ears perk up and his nose hits the pavement.

Among his favorite activities is a good run at the dog park; you know he’s having fun when he flips over on his back and wiggles in the cool grass. But Bryan is a cuddler too — he’ll crawl right into your lap and give you a gentle kiss.

Bryan is the perfect gentleman on the leash and knows how to sit on command. He also is a great family pet and gets along well with children and other dogs. Speaking of other dogs, did you know that you can bring your current, vaccinated pets to the shelter to meet potential pets like this one?

Bryan was surrendered to the SPCA on April 17 because the good Samaritans who rescued him from the streets were unable to keep him. He is also a VIP (very important pet) because he’s been waiting for his new, loving family for more than 30 days, so he has a special lower adoption price.

Come meet Bryan (#113987) today at the SPCA of Texas’ Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas at 2400 Lone Star Dr., near I-30 and Hampton Road. The center is open seven days a week, noon-6 pm.

Regular adoption fees are $95-$125 for puppies 0-6 months, $75-$95 for adult dogs 6 months or older, $50 for senior dogs 7 years or older, $50 for VIP dogs, $95 for kittens, $75 for adult cats, $50 for senior cats 7 years and older, and $50 for VIP cats.

The adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, age-appropriate vaccinations, heartworm test for dogs 6 months and older, initial heartworm preventative for dogs, feline leukemia test for cats 4 months and older, microchip, rabies tag, and free leash or cat carrier. Call 214-742-SPCA (7722) or visit the SPCA website for more information.

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Money Matters

This is the salary you need to live comfortably in Texas in 2026

Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

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A new national report looking at the income it takes to live comfortably in each of the 50 states has revealed Texans need to earn slightly less now than a year ago.

SmartAsset analyzed what a single individual, as well as family of four, must earn to cover minimum basic needs adjusted using the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. The resulting estimate represents the annual, pre-tax income needed to live comfortably in every U.S. state.

A single, full-time worker needs to make $90,563 to live comfortably in the Lone Star State, the report found, which is down a meager 0.2 percent from last year ($90,771).

Under the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy, that means a single Texas earner would have $45,282 to spend on necessities like housing and utilities, $27,169 for discretionary spending, and $18,113 for emergencies or retirement savings.

Texas ranked 34th nationally in SmartAsset's list of states with the highest income needed for a single adult to live "in sustainable comfort" in 2026. Only five other states — Tennessee, Maryland, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Mississippi — saw a decline in the income needed to live comfortably this year.

For a family of four to live comfortably in Texas, income requirements change significantly, according to the findings. To support a two-child household, a family needs $203,424 in combined total household income to be considered financially stable. This is down slightly from 2025, when SmartAsset reported a family of four in needed $204,922 to live comfortably in Texas.

This is a comfortable lifestyle for a family of four in Texas, according to the report:

$101,712 dedicated to necessities and living expenses
$61,027 dedicated to discretionary spending
$40,685 dedicated to emergencies, savings, or debt repaymen

According to the report, a family of four now needs to make at least $200,000 to live comfortably in 40 U.S. states, a figure that is far out of reach for many American families.

"As housing, grocery, transportation and other essential costs pressure household budgets, earning a six-figure salary no longer guarantees financial comfort in much of the U.S.," the report said. "A single adult now needs at least $80,000 a year to live comfortably in every state, while the threshold exceeds $100,000 in nearly half of states. For a family of four, the income needed to live comfortably is as much as $329,000."

Still, earning the minimum income to live comfortably in Texas doesn't guarantee financial stability in the Lone Star State's major cities. Earlier this year, SmartAsset determined single residents in Dallas need to make nearly $97,000 to qualify as financially stable, while families of four need about $214,500.

texas smartasset reports salaries income finance